1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a turret or gimbal mounted camera system and particularly to novel improvements to input devices, used by a dedicated operator to control the pointing direction and other operating characteristics thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In law enforcement, public safety, military and security missions, airborne camera systems may be used for search, surveillance or reconnaisance operations. Camera systems used for these missions may be attached to a helicopter or a fixed wing aircraft or to various other manned or unmanned aircraft or may be positioned in a fixed point with a view of a target area. In many of these applications, a dedicated operator may use a hand-held control unit (HCU), e.g. in smaller cockpits such as a helicopter, or a laptop control unit (LCU), e.g. in larger aircraft enclosures, to control the pointing direction and other aspects of the camera system. In general, the airborne camera system includes a display device so that the dedicated operator is able to view camera images being displayed thereon in real time. As a result, an operator will generally learn to use HCU and LCU devices without looking at the controls. It is therefore important that HCU and LCU devices provide easily actuated control elements that are tactilely intuitive in nature. As will be recognized by the skilled in the art, a dedicated operator may also use HCU and LCU devices to remotely control the pointing direction and other operating characteristics of any sensor or emitter system.
While some aspects of camera operation can be automated, e.g. focus, gain, contrast, brightness and pointing direction, it is often the case that the dedicated operator makes adjustments to camera characteristics. Common manual adjustments may include changes in the system field of view, pointing direction, gain, contrast, or brightness in order to refine any displayed images as may be required for inspecting specific image features and or to improve human interpretation of an image. To do so, the operator manipulates various actuators or tactile control elements incorporated into the HCU or LCU and it is often the case that the operator is required to maneuver one or more tactile control elements using fine hand and finger motions for extended periods, e.g. up to eight hours consecutively. In addition, the HCU and LCU may include other actuators for controlling other devices associated with the camera system such as a recording device, a laser rangefinder, an illuminator, or weapons fire controls. Accordingly, efforts have been made to develop HCU and LCU models that are lightweight, easy to understand and operate without looking at the controls and that do not cause the hands to become fatigued or to suffer from repetitive motion stress disorders over long periods of use.
In one prior art example, an HCU made by FLIR Systems of Billerica Mass., USA is contoured to fit the shape of an operators hand and includes a hand strap for attaching the HCU to the operators hand during use. The contoured shape of the device and the strap eliminate the need for a separate handle and allows the operator to loosely grip the HCU during use and this reduces hand fatigue. However, the FLIR HCU is limited to right-handed operation only and therefore may be uncomfortable and difficult to use for a left-handed person.
In another prior art example, a HCU made by WESCAM, a division of 3-COMM of Ontario Canada, includes a cylindrical handle portion that extends downward from an enclosure that houses control elements and provides a control panel surface that can be actuated by the thumb of the gripping hand. In this example, the operator supports the cylindrical handle in the palm of the hand and uses the thumb to actuate control panel elements. The handle also includes a trigger style actuator incorporated on a backside thereof for actuation by the index finger or middle finger. The WESCAM HCU is usable in either the left or right hand so that a left-handed user is not inconvenienced. While the WESCAM model addresses the needs of the left-handed user, it does not take into account a number of different considerations, particularly, the handle shape, size, weight, working angle with respect to the control panel, and the materials used to form the handle which can all be adjusted to improve the usability of the HCU and to reduce operator fatigue over long use periods. These considerations are addressed by the present invention.
LCU devices are generally larger and more functional than the hand-held HCU devices. The LCU is generally used in fixed wing aircraft where there is more room for the operator to work, however a fixed wing aircraft tends to fly at considerably higher altitudes than a helicopter. The impact of increased altitude is that imaging a target or object on the ground from a high altitude can be more demanding and may require even finer hand control motions to direct the camera pointing direction and to select particular image features of interest and to control zoom characteristics of the camera system to zoom in on the target or object. To accommodate the need for finer control, a LCU may include a larger joystick control element for controlling the pointing direction and a smaller joystick control element for controlling the camera zoom or field of view characteristics. In addition, the LCU will generally have more control elements incorporated into the control panel such pointing direction fine adjusting elements or automatic object tracking or automatic scanning features.
In one prior art example, an LCU made by FLIR Systems of Billerica Mass., USA comprises a unitary laptop device that is divided into three separate control panels. A right control panel includes a large joystick for operation by the right hand of the operator. A left control panel includes a small joystick for operating the camera zoom features and also includes a plurality of other control elements, and these are operated by the left hand of the operator. In addition, a center control panel includes rotatable knobs for making fine adjustments to the pointing direction as well as other control element and the control elements of the center panel may be operated using either the left or the right hand. However, the FLIR LCU is limited to right-handed operation of the large joystick and left-handed operation of the small joystick and therefore may be uncomfortable and difficult to use for a left-handed person.
The applicants have recognized the need to make input devices that increase the comfort of the user and reduce hand fatigue during operation. In addition, applicants have recognized the need to make input devices that would accommodate both the right-handed and the left-handed users equally. They have invented a new system with all users' long-term comforts in mind. These novel input devices have been made comfortable for users due to either the grip of the hand on the device, or their being easily configurable for both right and left-handed use.